


The Truth is, I'd be Shameless

by fackinglouis1 (fackinglouis)



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-03-23
Updated: 2013-03-23
Packaged: 2017-12-06 04:47:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 16,676
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/731594
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fackinglouis/pseuds/fackinglouis1
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The first day of high school is always eventful, but Louis Tomlinson's is unlike any other. On his first day of Freshman year, Louis falls in love.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Truth is, I'd be Shameless

**Author's Note:**

> Endless thank you's to Charlotte and Hunter who read this before and helped clean it up into something decent. This was originally from a prompt on tumblr "Could you do a Tomlinshaw get-together fic? Like maybe Louis has a huge crush on Nick and Harry tries to set them up but Nick is being a douche for some reason so then Louis is hurt (so some minor angst) but then it ends all happy and fluffy? Preferably a school!AU but it's up to you :) Please and thank you!" Also, title is from The Truth Is, also suggested by Hunter.

It's Friday morning, and just like every other day in the hell hole excuse of a school, the announcements are playing from the ancient television mounted precariously in the corner. Over the dull set of dates for college fairs and listings for the next math club meeting being recited, a melody is created in the classroom from the students popping gum, tapping pencils, and just generally not paying attention. It's all very run-of-the-mill.

 

That is, until "I'm a little hipster bitch who secretly listens to top forty and loves it," echoes around the classroom, bouncing around all of the student’s heads.

 

The class goes absolutely silent, all whipping around to get a view of the screen where Nick Grimshaw is pressing his lips together in a tight line to hold in his laughter that’s desperately trying to get out. His head is held high, brown eyes shining with mirth even through the blurry static coating the TV while the girl next to him flounders with her next line.

 

Noise slowly escalates again until it's builds into a roar even louder than before. But it's all a dull roar in Louis' ears. Nothing is louder than the sound of his own heart beating fast in his ears, like a steady drum beat in a suspenseful horror scene. His jaw literally won't close and even if he manages to, it’s only for a moment before it falls back open. Above all, Louis Tomlinson is smiling - his eyes wide and confused but ultimately happy. And the feeling throbbing through his body and tingling at his fingertips is joy.

 

Announcements end early this morning, but that's not quite where the story begins.

 

-*-*-*-*-

 

The first day of high school is always eventful, but Louis Tomlinson's is unlike any other.

 

On his first day of freshman year, Louis falls in love.

 

He rushes through the door a little bit late due to the maze-like hallways and the sheer amount of doors he had to look through, almost walking into the wrong one twice. Nobody in the room pays him any attention, though. All their eyes are cast towards the corner of the room where the morning announcements are being broadcasted.

 

There is a boy with a toothy smile and high hair and a lovely voice and at exactly that moment, Louis decides he's wonderful. His name is Nicholas Grimshaw and he's a junior.

 

Later, he spots him in the hallway and watches on like an outcast watching in on a party.

 

Nick is tall. Taller than he had assumed from the mere torso Louis had seen from the TV and his hair is even taller. He's laughing loudly at something one of his friends has just said, walking as if he doesn’t have a care in the world. Kids stuck behind him are rolling their eyes and muttering words of annoyance to their mates about possibly being late for class, but none of them dare to challenge him.

 

Like all the cliche, high school stories of unrequited love, Nick hasn't the slightest clue as to who Louis is. Why should he? He’s just a lowly freshman and Nicholas Grimshaw is... well, he’s Nicholas Grimshaw. It seems as if he's been cast as the nerdy girl fawning over the pretty, popular jock in the movie about his unfortunate adolescent life. But Louis learns to deal with it.

 

He soaks in the time each morning when he can watch Nick read off mundane dates for meetings or reminders, or when they're in the same hallway, or when they have the same lunch together. Harry and Stan both get tired of his obsessiveness pretty quickly. Yet, their irritation doesn’t deter him.

 

After a couple of months, Louis learns quite a few things about Nick, has a good long mental list of facts that might help spur the romance if ever the moment arose.

 

1.) Nicholas Grimshaw is three years his senior and has gym during period three. He knows this because Harry also happens to have period three gym with Nick and Louis asks him everyday if anything interesting happened, or really, anything at all. Most of the time Harry refuses to respond and encourage his, in Harry’s words,  _unhealthy_  obsession.

 

2.) Nick is in fact, gay. And out of the closet which makes Louis ecstatic because at least he isn't planning his wedding with a straight boy. Talk about disastrous.

 

3.) Nick is quite popular. He's not the quarterback or head cheerleader, but everyone seems to know his name. There are rumors always swirling about what his plans are, who he’s in with and who he isn’t, who he was seen with at the latest party - those are the ones that tug at Louis' smile until it lessens into something not so genuine. He tries to brush them off and make a joke about how he needs to be invited to one of these parties, but Stan always wraps him in a hug and reminds him that he's great and it'll work out.

 

4.) Despite the constant rumors, Nick never seems to have a steady boyfriend. Which Louis considers both good and bad. Mostly good though. Louis likes to look at the glass half full rather than half empty so he takes what he can get. Even if this little bit of good news is not a good sign for his daydreams, Louis digresses.

 

5.) He is a part of the Broadcasters club (which for some reason only consists of decidedly hipster upperclassmen) and crew for theatre (he's the guy who takes care of the sound hook ups and the lighting). Harry and Stan have encouraged him to join both, but Louis' still a measly freshmen and they aren't given roles in plays or accepted into the Broadcasters club. Maybe next year, he promises once during lunch, before stuffing his mouth full of crisps to the point he can't speak anymore, and therefore, can’t answer anymore of their questions.

 

6.) Louis has a locker in the same hallway as Nick does. And no, this piece of news didn’t make him grin for an idiot the whole day he realized.

 

7.) He's a little hipster bitch who wears shirts with bands that Louis has never heard of.

 

8) He has the best laugh.

 

The year passes quickly, leaves falling, dying and growing again all in the blink of an eye. Before anybody has the time to realize, it's the last day of Freshman year and Louis, Stan, and Harry are all whooping excitedly when the last bell rings.

 

The hallways are chaos, everybody is yelling excitedly and hugging and throwing the contents of their lockers in the big waste bins. Nick has a group of people around him, no doubt talking about the big party that is bound to happen tonight and there are a series of chants getting louder and louder.

 

A group of kids all rush by, chanting and waving their arms, and accidentally knock over a few kids on their way, Louis being one of them.

 

"Hey!" Louis shouts and Harry pushes the one he can reach. The kid turns around to push Harry back, making Stan step up to be at Harry's side.

 

"Watch where you're going next time," Harry warns him.

 

"Now, now, look what you did! You knocked the cute little freshie over! Shame on you."

 

Louis stares up in shock at the voice he has heard plenty of times before, but only ever imagined it being directed to him in his dreams. The one and only Nicholas Grimshaw stands with a disapproving eyebrow raised at the scuffle and at Louis who is still splayed out dumbstruck on the floor.

 

He should get up from the floor, Louis knows that, but Nick also just referred to him as 'cute' so he's pretty certain his knees aren't going to work anytime soon.

 

"Young Harold Styles!" Nick exclaims merrily in Harry's direction. "Didn't anybody ever tell you it's no good to start fights?"

 

Harry scowls at Nick, then the guilty boy still lingering a foot away. "He and his mates knocked Louis over."

 

"How rude." He says and then turns to the brute of a boy who rolls his eyes and stalks off. "How rude of you. No need for you to stick around. Run off, please."

 

Stan holds out a hand to pull him off the ground and Louis accepts it numbly, his eyes stuck to Nick and his every movement.

 

"Well, I must be off lads! Goodbye little freshies! Goodbye Harry Styles!" And with a flourish, he's off again, just as quick as he had appeared there.

 

Two hours later, they're at Stan's house and Louis is stuck still in a state of shock. "You never told me you knew Nick!" He accuses, his words prompting a suffering groan from everyone else in the room.

 

"I told you, Louis! We just have gym together, is all," Harry waves his hand dismissively in front of him.

 

"But he knew your name. He knew your full name!"

 

"Only because he thinks it's funny or summat." Harry shrugs. "Told me it belongs in a bad porn movie or something, I don't know." Louis doesn't understand how he can be so calm about something like that and he buries himself in the sofa pillow, always one for dramatics.

 

"You're friends with Grimmy!" Surprisingly enough, the words can still be made out, even with the fabric muffling his words. They throw more cushions at him until his words are contorted through the filling, ignoring the groaning sounds Louis insists he has to make to express his emotions.

 

The summer is mostly calm, except for the one night where Nick follows Louis on twitter and he has a meltdown and refuses to tweet for three weeks. "Everything I ever tweet again has to be perfect! How do I make someone fall in love with me over 140 characters?" He had exclaimed and shoved another large spoonful of ice cream into his mouth.

 

Other than that, the warm air is filled with fun and laughter. Harry has a growth spurt while Louis and Stan watch as his legs get impossibly long. They all grow a little less awkward and a little more comfortable in their skin.

 

"Sophomore year is going to be great." Harry says the night before the first day of school.

 

"Right-o, Hazza!" Louis cheers. "Sophomore year is going to be the best. Better than ever before."

 

"Hell yeah! Going to own that shit!" Stan chimes in.

 

The first month of school goes as expected. Louis pines, and coos, and complains, and cries. Stan comforts his friend as much as he can while still trying obnoxiously to get a date. And Harry charms his way through his new classes and the new people. It's all very normal. They don't exactly 'own that shit', but it's nice enough and besides the whole ‘Nick not so much as glancing his way’, there’s nothing to complain about.

 

-*-*-*-*-

 

Louis watches a leaf fall to the ground through the classroom window, as the old and balding teacher drawls on about Imperialism and Isolationism. He doesn't even pretend to listen, sighing heavily into the hand propping up his chin. The final bell is supposed to ring in two minutes and he's seriously thinking he's not going to make it through. Today has been unbearably slow, dragging on like a Monday morning.

 

The wind is blowing outside, pushing the dead leaves around the pavement in a sort of dance. Stan throws a crumpled up sheet of paper at his head from the seat across from him and Louis lazily flips him off.

 

One minute left and Louis rests his forehead against the probably unsanitary surface of his desk. Another paper smacks against his skull and he hears a hissed 'Louis!'. The bell rings finally as he looks up at Stan, seeing his friend waving his phone obnoxiously around his face.

 

"Look what Harry said!"

 

Louis makes a grab for his wrist to hold it still and hisses, "I can't read it if you're moving it!"

 

It's a poorly spelt message notifying him that Harry won't be on the bus home with them tonight because he's made plans.

 

"Who has he got plans with?" Louis asks, furrowing his brow. Stan shrugs.

 

They turn the corner leading to the hallway holding Harry's locker and Louis nearly trips over his own feet in surprise. "Wha-?"

 

Harry is pulling stuff out of his locker that's oddly surrounded by Nick and the rest of his friends, who all seem to be laughing at something the curly haired boy has said. When Harry closes his locker door and turns around, him and Nick share a small smile and Louis feels like someone has punched him in the gut. Nick slings an arm around Harry's shoulders, pulling him close and exclaiming something like, "Onwards, dear Harold!"

He blends right in with the rest of the crowd and Louis shakes his head. "You- You think that... they're..?"

 

"No." Stan says, shaking his head violently. "No way. They're just friends. Harry wouldn't do that when he knows that you're in love with him." Louis swallows thickly and gives a weak nod.

 

The group all starts to move towards the door and Harry smiles brightly when he sees Louis and Stan standing across the hall.  "Lou! Stan!" He smiles and waves, still under Nick's arm.

 

Louis manages a small smile and flicks his fingers in a sort of wave. "Hi, Haz."

 

Stan raises an eyebrow at Harry and looks pointedly between him and Nick, pulling Louis somewhat protectively, somewhat comfortingly under his arm while doing so.

 

"Hello," Nick says cheerfully, filling the silence when Harry frowns and bites his lip. "Sorry that I'm stealing young Harold for the night. You can have him back tomorrow if I don't decide to keep him," he says with a joking chuckle, and Louis only nods and shuffles in closer to Stan.

 

"Louis," Harry starts, but is immediately cut off by an all too polite Louis.

 

"Have fun, Harry." He nods quickly, his head bouncing up and down in short, jerkish movements. His blue eyes flick once more to look over Nick because he can't help it, before he pulls Stan along with him.

 

"Bye!" Nick calls out confusedly, but still overall happy and Louis hates that his heart gives a little flutter. Because despite his best friend maybe being one of those boys Nick is always rumored to be going through, he still just stood within four feet of his crush and held said crushes attention for a moment or two.

 

 

-*-*-*-*-

 

Someone lights up a cigarette once the school doors bang close behind them and Harry doesn't do anything to hide the grimace he makes. Nick just laughs and shakes his head. He says something to Harry, but he's too busy fishing his phone out of his backpack to pay any attention.

 

It's innocent, this friendship between Nick and Harry. And Harry has to let Lou know that because he knows how Louis is, how Louis will get, what Louis is thinking. And he has to put a stop to it and shake him because no, Harry would never do anything like that to Louis. Louis should know that by now, after years and years of friendship, but sometimes Louis gets down on himself and second guesses himself until he becomes a broken mess, all the while smiling and joking on the outside.

 

"You're terribly antsy," Nick comments, "Why?"

 

Harry shakes his head and fumbles with his phone. "Louis' just feeling a bit poorly."

 

Nick nods in understanding. "The one with the great arse?" The look on Harry's face grows slowly until it's a hilarious mix between a frown, a scowl, and a smile. "He seemed a bit broody, yeah?"

 

"He's cute, right?" Harry hedges, his face almost twitching with the way he's working hard to keep his expression nonchalant. "I mean... attractive? Handsome, some would say. Not me, though, 'cause I'm his friend and Louis is single." He nods, raising an eyebrow at Nick. "Like  _super_  single. Not that, like, nobody wants to date him because like I said, he's nice looking. And he's funny."

 

Nick narrows his eyes at Harry questioningly. "Alright, I can appreciate that."

 

"So you think he's fit?" He's positive that if he goes home and tells Louis that Nick thinks he's fit, then he’ll be too busy being a preteen girl to be sad. And he won't frown at Harry in that way that makes him want to shave his curls off because Louis needs to stop looking like that, please and thank you.

 

"Sure, yeah, he's fit." Nick admits, still confused on the conversation as a whole. "Why?"

 

Harry shrugs over exaggeratedly. His shoulders almost touch his ears and the forced clueless look on his face is priceless. "I don't know. Just curious, y'know?"

 

"Let's be curious elsewhere then, hmm?" Nick prompts and continues on walking behind the cluster that's a few feet in front of them. Harry waits a moment before doing a small, awkward, victory dance.

 

-*-*-*-*-

 

Louis is blasting an Adele song from his iPod so loudly that you can hear it clearly from anywhere in the room. He's lying on Stan's bed along with Stan himself, who is currently in the process of helplessly trying to convince Louis that Harry wasn't actually stealing his man.

 

"Just because he had his arm around him doesn't mean anything!" Stan shouts over Adele crooning  _Someone Like You._

 

Louis looks at him with eyes resembling those of a wounded puppy and pouts. "Anyone would be stupid to resist Nick," he says, a little louder than necessary, his volume perception off from the blaring music. "Nobody could resist him and his charms."

 

Stan yanks an earbud from Louis' ear and rolls his eyes. "C'mon, Lou. You know that Harry wouldn't really do that to you. Stop being daft."

 

"I know, you're right." Louis sighs pitifully, "But it's been over a year and none of the movies take this long! I should have the guy by now, shouldn't I?" His blue eyes are swimming and Stan really can't handle tears, much less Louis'. He frantically pats his back and shushes him.

"No, Lou, no. It just takes some time. Remember last year when he called you cute? That was good, right?" His words just make Louis frown deeper and Stan rubs his back a little harder. This should be comforting him, right?

 

"Exactly! He called me cute and then he didn't even remember who I was today! He looked like he liked Harry, I bet he likes Harry. Why wouldn't he like Harry? Harry is great." His words grow steadily more frantic with every second. "I'm holding Harry back from a great relationship, aren't I? I'm being a bad friend because I'm in love with the greatest boy in school and Harry should be able to have that, shouldn't he?" He looks to Stan with wide eyes, awaiting an answer.

 

"Well-"

 

"I know! He should! And I'm holding them back from becoming high school sweethearts! Nick is never going to like me! They both have those luscious curls of theirs and I don't have anything," Louis wails into the pillow, Adele wailing into the air between them.

 

"To be fair, Nick straightens his hair into that stupid quiff of his most days," Stan offers helplessly, simultaneously clumsily texting Harry with his free hand.

 

The glare Louis gives his friend is ice-cold. "It's not stupid, it's wonderful."

 

"Tell it to your diary, mate."

 

Louis sniffles a bit and Stan keeps rubbing his back, bordering on obsessive until Harry texts him back informing him that he's coming in.

 

Harry bursts through Stan's door, wild eyes, wild hair, wild hands, wild everything until he spots Louis on the bed and stills to a frown. "Louis! Did you get any of my texts?" Harry asks him, crouching by the head of the bed and swatting Stan’s hand away to replace it with his own.

 

Louis just shakes his head and points to his phone where it rests on the floor under Stan's desk. "It's not like that Louis. Nick's great and he's funny and stuff, but, like, just in a friend way. I don't want to shag him or anything, I promise." His green eyes are sincere and pleading with Louis to understand.

 

"I know, Hazza." He says and pets the curls he can reach. "But that's okay. I think it's time for me to move on." Louis says quietly, voice thick and sad. Both Stan and Harry gape at him.

 

"I don't think it works like that." Stan interjects. "You don't get to simply choose when you stop being in love with someone."

 

"No!" Harry exclaims, "We're getting so close! I'm friends with him now and in a convenient place to set you up and he even said that he thinks you’re fit!"

 

"He said that?" Louis questions, ears perking and brows furrowing in suspicion.

 

"Yeah, I swear!" Harry nods rapidly. "Give me a couple more weeks, Lou. It'll happen, promise."

 

Louis looks between his two friends, both smiling eagerly and urging him to agree. Then he lets out a sigh.

 

"Pinky promise?" He asks, so scared of the hope that's blossoming happily in his chest, the hope that has the potential to swallow him whole and devour him if it doesn't work out the way they're saying it will. He knows he shouldn't let himself give in because odds are, he's setting himself up for a heartbreak worse than he's ever known, even worse than the movies, but he locks pinkies with Stan and Harry anyway, smiling along with their cheers.

 

He'll just spend a few more weeks in love with Nicholas Grimshaw. Then after that he'll pack his bags and move on from his fantasy world he's been content to play pretend in thus-far.

 

-*-*-*-*-

 

"Don't forget to show up for auditions for the winter production tomorrow. It's a cold read so there'll be no preparation needed." Nick tells the school from his spot behind the TV screen and Harry looks behind him to smile at Louis.

 

"You're not a freshman anymore, Lou! You're going out for that, yeah?" Louis bites his lip and then shrugs.

 

"I don't think Sophomores are any more likely to get the parts, honestly." He says, dismissing it like it's no big deal. Harry frowns because he knows it is.

 

"It's not like you need a leading role for your first production. And Nick is crew so that's like... a lot more time with him than you're spending now." Harry waggles his brows at Louis who just rolls his eyes.

 

"Anything would be a lot more time than I'm spending with him now." He shoots back, but considers going out for auditions anyway. Why not? He's already agreed to let his best friend set him up with the unattainable, senior, Nick Grimshaw and he figures why not be a little more crazy and try out for the school play? Worst case scenario he makes a fool of himself in front of those at the audition... which would include Nick, but that's not even bad. At least then Nick would remember him as the daft sophomore which is more than he can say now.

 

-*-*-*-*-

 

Louis' been in the auditorium for close to forty minutes now. He had gotten to the sign in list a bit late and had to scribble his name down a ways away from the first auditioner. So now he's stuck watching each performance and twiddling his thumbs nervously.

 

He's seen all the train wrecks and all the triumphs and has had nothing to do but contemplate where he'll fall on the scale. Sure, his mum tells him all the time what a great actor he is, but she's  _his mum_. She has to say that stuff or else she won't be doing her job right.

 

He startles out of his thoughts when an all too familiar voice asks, "Is anybody sitting here?"

 

Louis looks up, trails his eyes up, up, up from the black skinny jeans to the T-shirt to the handsome face and gapes stupidly. Nick's looking down at him, expecting Louis to give him an answer and Louis can only shake his head, mouth still open.

 

His mind is racing a mile a minute, trying to formulate a coherent sentence that isn't the string of non-coherent syllables he feels like would come out right now. Louis isn't used to this. He's never been one to shut up. _Never._  Whenever there's an awkward silence, he feels a sort of responsibility to fill it with his usual cheery chatter until he rambles himself off a cliff or is simply told by someone to shut up. It's a bad habit, but it seems like he just broke it.

 

Nick drops down in the seat next to him, long legs folding up until they knock against the seat in front and Louis' heart rate triples. "You auditioning?" He asks under a huff of breath, flashing his teeth in a small grin. He's perfect. Literally perfect with his long nose and dark eyelashes and bony fingers.

 

Louis handles a nod of his head and shaky smile. "Mhmm."

 

Nick folds his long, spindly fingers together in a knot on his lap and glances back from the junior on stage to Louis. "Are you?" Louis asks because it's the first thing that comes up in his brain that actually makes a bit of sense. Even though he already knows what the answer is going to be.

 

"Me?" Nick asks and shakes his head, laughing slightly. "No, I just go for crew myself. Work with the sound equipment and the lights."

 

Louis nods and smiles like he doesn't already know everything Nick has just told him. "I guess only some people can handle the stage." He says haughtily, a slip of regular, cheeky Louis in an otherwise barren conversation.

 

"Ouch," Nick laughs probably louder than he should with an audition going on. "Darling, oh you wound me."

 

He can't help the bubble of laughter that spills from his chest at that, because he's happy and talking to Nick Grimshaw and suddenly everything is ten times funnier. A teacher turns around and shushes them both angrily and Nick holds up a placating hand. "Sorry," he whispers with a smirk.

 

"Someone's a bad kid." Louis teases, "Aren't you supposed to be a role model? A senior and part of Broadcasters club? I'd expect more from you." He's almost positive he's having an out of body experience right now, because now he's teasing and bantering with Nick Grimshaw. And honestly, he doesn't think Nick even knows his name, but that's okay because he's been calling him 'darling' and Louis is perfectly fine with that.

 

Nick raises a brow at Louis. "Me? A role model? I think you must have the wrong person." He holds out one of his long fingered hands to Louis. "My names Nick Grimshaw. Also known as the furthest thing from a responsible role model." Louis knows he's joking, but he can't just pass up the golden opportunity to hold Nick's hand so he grabs it and shakes it.

 

The size of his hand compared to Nick's is laughable. His hand gets swallowed in the shake and his palm is starting to get clammy. "M' name's Louis. Louis Tomlinson."

 

"I know your name, Louis. Harry's talked about you before and you have a locker in the same hallway as mine." Nick tells him casually, as if his words didn't just make Louis turn into the equivalent of a kindergartner on a sugar high.

 

"Louis Tomlinson." The same teacher that shushed them calls his name and his stomach drops a bit, the very tips of his fingers turning cold. His sudden fear must show on his face because Nick pats his knee and tells him, "You'll do great."

 

He doesn't even have time to reply other than a quick flash of a smile before he's making his way up onto stage. His finishing slot has all but cleared all the other auditionees out of the room, save for the directors and crew who all stare up at him in anticipation.

 

Louis answers their questions with a confident smile, oozing the charm he knows he has. When he runs the lines he's given, he starts out with a morsel of jitters. He can hear the way his voice shakes and he curses the tips of his ears that he can feel turning pink. He sweeps his eyes across his audience until they land on Nick who smiles at him and gives him a thumbs up. Louis really does think he's lovely.

 

From then on he wants nothing more than to shine for Nick and show him just how great he can be or at least how great his mother tells him he can be. Emotion flows and weaves it's way through his words, delivering a performance that astounds even himself. Capturing attention has never been hard for him, but this type of attention is new and exhilarating. Eyes are observing him and scrutinizing him and awaiting his next move and Louis loves the way he's become a star to the small crowd.

 

Theatre is a long time passion of his and he's been knocked down to the sandy ground like an unexpectedly harsh wave at the beach with the remembrance of why.

 

They all clap for him when he finishes and Louis gives a short bow, praying that the clapping is earnest and not the polite clapping he had taken part in for those students who gave less than great quality perfomances.

 

"That was magnificent, Louis!" Nick exclaims, still clapping and all of a sudden right there. "You have to get the part, I just know it."

 

"Thanks, mate." Louis says bashfully, not used to the praise. "I'd be fine with a small, supporting role, honestly, I'm not really aiming for something big."

 

Nick shakes his head. "If not the lead, then the second most important role."

 

"We'll see." Louis slings his satchel over his shoulder and peers up at Nick. "Thanks for the support," he says. You're the reason I did so great, is what he keeps to himself. Nick just nods. "I'd be crazy not to support you. I guess this means you and I will be seeing a lot more of each other from now on."

 

Louis feels a little lightheaded and a lot giddy. For the first time since the promise, Louis gets a teensy-weensy bit stupid and thinks that maybe this whole thing might work.

 

-*-*-*-*-

 

Harry hangs out with Nick again on Wednesday and makes sure to lackadaisically slip Louis' name into the conversation at every opportunity. Nick waves to Louis in the hallway on Thursday, unknowingly ruining any chance the sophomore had at paying attention in class for the rest of the day. And on Friday, the Cast and Crew list is posted.

 

Louis waits around the corner until the hallway is empty. At the audition, he knew he was great, but he's had half of a week to second guess himself and pick apart everything he could have done better. And he doesn't want to take what he thinks is his imminent rejection in front of other people. If he's not a good enough actor to get a part in the play then he won't be a good enough actor to brush the refusal off as well as well as he should.

 

He shuffles his feet and walks slowly, keeping his eyes on his well-loved pair of toms as they move across the tile. Louis really wants this. More than he's willing to admit, too. Just like he tells the girls before they cross the street, he looks both ways down the hallway to make sure he's still in the clear before he looks up at the list.

 

His stomach has become a breeding ground for butterflies apparently, but that only lasts for a moment more before he hears someone shout their congratulations from his side. Louis turns to see Harry and Nick barreling down the hallway towards him and he hurriedly glances back to the list pinned on the wall.

 

**Louis Tomlinson**  sits bolded proudly.

 

"I got the part!" He shouts happily and somewhat confusedly. Harry collides into him in a  hug and squeezes. "You got it, Lou! I knew you would get it, even Nick said you were going to get it."

 

Louis untangles himself from Harry's mess of long legs and adulation at a pat on the back from a earnest palm spanning over his shoulder. "I told you you'd get it, didn't I? Don't look so flabbergasted."

 

Looking up at Nick, Louis beams and shrugs. "But I still didn't expect to get a part." The apples of his cheeks are round and starting to ache, but the smile won't leave his face. His eyes are crinkled at the sides and Nick's own grin grows a bit softer with something Louis can’t place.

 

"You definitely deserve it. You blew everyone away." The hand rests on his shoulder still, making no move to slide away. "I'd have to start a strike if you were overlooked."

 

There's a lump in his throat blocking any words from surfacing and he can see Harry tittering behind his fingers in his peripheral vision. He knows this is the part where he's supposed to say something witty and charming, but he's so caught up in the way that Nick is looking down at him, attention only on him, that he stays silent.

 

"You guys have rehearsals together, right?" Harry interjects.

 

Nick nods, never taking his dark eyes off of Louis. "Tuesdays and Thursdays. Think you can handle it?"

 

"I don't know," Louis shrugs, frivolously sighing. "I might get tired of you." He says like it's even in the realm of possibilities. Which, it isn't.

 

The eldest of the three gasps in mock outrage. "Get tired of me? There's no way. I'm quite the personality, I'll have you know."

 

"Trust me, I know." Louis rolls his eyes, but the grin on his face gives him away. Nick chuckles, his eyes warm and on Louis, making Louis' fingertips tingle. Piece by piece, things seem to be coming together and shaping up. And Louis knows. He knows that he shouldn't be letting himself get like this just because Nick is smiling at him. But Nick is smiling at him and resisting the rapturous feeling bubbling over his heart is apparently impossible.

 

-*-*-*-*-

 

The next two weeks pull Louis along in a daze of infatuation and exuberance. He's not even that mad when his sisters manage to stuff one of his shoes full of play dough. He can't be when the stupid smile won't leave his face for two minutes so he can yell a bit.

 

Rehearsals are wonderful. Louis absolutely loves when Nick shines the spotlight right on him and he suddenly doesn't have to crack a joke or be extra loud to get all eyes on his form. He's in his element and he moves through the lines effortlessly as if he's known them his whole life. The feeling he gets when somebody compliments him or commends him on his hard work is indescribable and he stumbles and blushes his way through a thank you.

 

The first rehearsal, during his downtime, Louis would just sit in one of the auditorium seats and watch everyone else as they worked out the kinks of their performances. But then Nick mentioned that there was a seat free next to him in the light booth and Louis doesn't need to be told twice before he's spending his breaks with Nick.

 

In all sincerity, Louis didn't think it was possible for his affection towards Nick to grow, but he was proven wrong very quickly with the amount of time they now spent together.

 

Nick can be as loud as Louis, laughing and cracking jokes and genuinely having a good time without a care in the world. And the boy is almost dependent on his friends and social life, never leaving his phone untouched for more than minutes at a time which drives Louis' up the wall because he'd love nothing more than to be able to be enough for Nick to solely focus on him. He thinks it's part of a reputation thing Nick has with his whole social, partying, hipster shtick he has going on which is frankly ridiculous and Louis hates, hates, hates it.

 

Louis wants to tear his hair out when the older boy starts talking about music and the things Louis needs to listen to or read up on. And he wants to strangle Nick every time he hears that stupid, little, condescending laugh he does whenever Louis mentions a big hit from the radio or anything else too mainstream for his posh ass. He can be absolutely infuriating and Louis finds himself rolling his eyes more often than not.

 

And what Louis despises above all else is the way Nick is able to keep him hooked even with his smug smiles and nonconformist ways. Because for every time Nick does something irritating, there's two times he does something swoon worthy or utterly charming.

 

Like the fact he's wanted to work on the radio since he was a wee eleven years old and when he talks about it he's so passionate and excited. He's determined to work on the university radio next year and then the real thing after he graduates. And he's charismatic and funny and when he's really excited or animated, he'll talk with his hands, waving his long, long fingers around in front of him.

 

When Nick is facing the stage and concentrating on the job at hand, Louis likes to admire the lengthy angles of his face and the set of his mouth. He can almost imagine running his hand through his dark hair when he leaves it to fall in curls over his forehead and Louis wraps his arms around his shins, holding his legs folded against his chest to keep from reaching them out and doing just that.

 

And then Nick will glance at him and shoot him an easy smile with that adorable, tiny gap between his front teeth and Louis rests his head against his knees and he's sure; This is what love feels like.

 

-*-*-*-*-

 

_Want to come over to mine tonight? I can help you run lines_

 

Louis stares down at his phone with pursed lips. He knows who he wants the message to be from, but that doesn't prove anything.

 

_Its Grimmy by the way, Harry gave me your number_

 

His phone buzzes again and Louis' excitement takes a backseat to his need to roll his eyes at the nickname. He stares at the screen for a long moment and contemplates how to respond. At first, his fingers flew madly to type out  _I'd love to!_ , but after further thought he decided against it. Hard to get, that was what all the girly magazines and movies Lottie had said to do and it never failed the actors.

 

But how was he supposed to play hard to get without refusing or ruining his chance? Louis locks his phone, unlocks it. He types  _I love you, of course_ , then deletes it, and stares at the blank box awaiting his words, back at square one.

 

The time tells him that he's spent six minutes doing absolutely nothing and Louis groans. The last thing he wants Nick thinking is that he's ignoring him.

 

_After we've just had rehearsals? You don't think I'd be sick of you yet?_ , he types finally, a satisfied smile on his face. It's rare to get a text from Louis with perfect spelling, but the teenager reads it over at least three times before he hits send. And as soon as he does, his heart is beating twice as hard as it had been before he’d responded.

 

Every second seems like an eternity longer than Nick should be taking to reply to his text. Realistically he knows that Nick could be eating or in the loo or doing a million different other things prohibiting him to get to the phone that doesn’t include his dislike for Louis, but Louis hasn't always been known for being reasonable. It's been three minutes and he's already convinced himself Nick is trying to figure out a way to retract the invitation.

 

_Come off it you brat. You know youll never get tired of me_ , appears on his screen and he laughs almost deliriously.

 

The former process repeats again, but only in four minutes this time which Louis takes as quite an achievement. He's improving.

 

Nick replies to his,  _Someone fancies themselves a bit too much_  with  _Be ready in twenty minutes if you want a ride_  and his face screws up in confusion.

 

_I haven't even told you where I live !_ , he shoots back because as much as he wants it to be, his life hasn't turned into a silly, teeny-bopper movie where everyone already knows where everyone else lives. But alas, his life is nowhere near that efficient.

 

This time it only takes seconds for him to get a reply back and he reads  _No need darling. Young Harrys told me everything I need to know_  with a giddy smile. The prick is presumptuous and cocky and Louis hates him for it, but the smile's already permanently etched itself onto his face.

 

_How did you know I would say yes ?_ , he types and thinks he should probably warn Harry about the dangers of giving his number and address out to anyone who asks. Though, he's sure Harry would argue that Nick isn't just anyone and it's not like Louis knows how to comeback to that one.

 

_I would have considered that if I thought it was a legitimate possibility._  Louis rolls his eyes and tries to pretend that Nick is in the wrong. He can virtually see him in his mind, sporting that stupid little, pleased with himself simper on his face and he retorts with an  _Are you quite finished ?_

 

_I'll honk when I'm there. x_

 

Louis spends ages staring dumbfounded at the little letter sitting unexpectedly at the end of his message with a sort of smile on his face. It's only a sort of smile as his jaw is unhinged dazedly, hanging a bit open with the corners of his lips pointing up. He blinks twice dropping his phone calmly on the bed in front of him and turning around to find a clock.

 

It jolts him back to reality when he realizes how little time he has to smooth out his appearance into something close to presentable.

 

-*-*-*-*-

 

He's changed outfits twice when the incessant honking starts outside his window. Louis swears under his breath and forces himself to settle on the outfit he's in right now, grabbing his phone and rushing out of the house. He takes a quick detour by the mirror, pushing his hair into a sweeping fringe that looks perfect, but not like he wants it to look perfect. It's a skill he's mastered over the years.

 

The big, cozy jumper he's drowning in hangs loosely around his frame, scooping lowly over his collarbones and accenting his natural tan just right. That and the way his jeans pull tight across his bum and thighs are the reason for the pep in his step when he walks down to where Nick is sitting in the car waiting for him. He feels good.

 

"For god's sake, Louis. What were you doing in there? Re-applying your lipstick and powdering your nose?" Is how Nick so graciously greets him as he slides into the passenger seat.

 

"Remind me again why I agreed to spend more time than necessary with you?" Louis asks, immediately reaching forward to hit the eject button on the CD playing the music he's already tired of after being in the car for less than ten seconds.

 

"Hey!" Nick protests angrily, "What do you think you're doing?"

 

"Saving my ears from your whiny, stupid music." Louis responds flippantly and busies himself with scouring the car for other CD's. Nick watches incredulously as the younger lad opens up the mirror in front of him and then the glove compartment before he bats his nosy hands away. "You can't just go through my car, nosy!"

 

"Afraid I'll find something embarrassing?" Louis asks and draws his hands back to his lap so Nick can push the compartment closed again and start the car. "It's fine, though. I'll just find something on the radio." He shrugs and starts to fiddle with the buttons.

 

"No, you won't." Nick brakes sharply and Louis jolts forward. "Put on your seatbelt, you wretched child and don't touch my radio."

 

Louis makes a face, but buckles his seat belt with a loud click anyway. "I wouldn't have to if you didn't play such god-awful music."

 

He sniffs haughtily and turns up the volume on the radio anyway, peeking out of the side of his eye to see Nick's reaction. Honestly, half the reason he instigates so much is because he wants to get a reaction out of the older man.

 

Nick makes a noise of disbelief deep in his throat and tuts disapprovingly over at Louis like he's a disobedient child. "Horrible music," He repeats. "You wouldn't know good music if it slapped you on the arse. You have shit taste in music and I'm saying this in the nicest way possible."

 

"Oh please, save the lecture on mainstream top forty for the next lad, why don't you? I've already heard it at least three times. Bet I could even recite it by now."

 

"And you still have yet to listen," Nick breathes. "Pretty sure there's medicine for that type of thing. It's a real disorder. Ever consider going to the doctor’s for it?"

 

"Saving your ears from whiny music that's not popular for a reason is a disorder?" Louis retorts. "I didn't know that, tell me more."

 

Katy Perry is singing in all of her auto-tuned glory and Nick punches the radio silent. "Why do I even bother to spend time with you? This was a terrible idea, you're insufferable."

 

"I'm positively lovely and you know it, I’m like a little ball of sunshine." Louis reaches out to turn the volume back up so they can listen to her sing something about sex.  "The real question is why do  _I_  spend my time with the likes of  _you?_  You're way too hipster for my tastes."

 

"You said it, darling, not me." Nick smiles and Louis looks at the colorful tied bracelets around his wrist, down to the black skinnies wrapping tastefully around his skinny legs, and then back up to his signature quiffed hairstyle that all but has it's own patent pending by now.

 

"You're a little, hipster bitch and you're proud of it. I bet you bypass anything with more than a million views on Youtube."

 

"Do you genuinely work at being this maddening or does it just come naturally for you?" Nick asks, slowing down and coming to a stop in front of what Louis assumes is his house.

 

Louis mimics his words in a high pitched voice and swings the car door open, bounding towards the house. Nick briefly thanks whatever deity is up there that his parents have gone out on some date or another and he won't have to explain the monstrosity that is Louis Tomlinson before following said monster in question into the house.

 

Louis nods appraisingly at all the rooms they pass through, Nick slapping his hands down whenever the younger boy makes a grab for something. By the time they make it to his bedroom, Nick has enough experience to become a successful sheep herder if the whole ‘on air personality’ thing doesn't work out.

 

Louis is silent for a moment, completely aware of the way Nick is watching him eye his bedroom anxiously before he asks,"How much time did you spend on trying to make it look like no time was put into this room?" His blue eyes flick disinterestedly over the posters of unknown bands and the pile of records - yes, honest to god, records. God, Louis didn't even know they made those things any more - to the different sound equipment laying over his desk. And because he can't resist, he pokes the huge pile of cds stacked up on the bedside table until a few topple over from the top of the peak.

 

Nick squawks and pulls Louis away with a sharp tug of the wrist, spinning him around and out of the room. "New plan," he announces. "Because some of us are actually three years old, my bedroom is now off-limits." Louis does nothing but toddle along like a chastised child, too occupied on the way Nick's fingers overlap on his wrist to care about a snarky reply.

 

-*-*-*-*-

 

"Just admit it!" Louis draws a circle in the air between them and looks up at Nick, who is frustratingly still taller than him even with him sitting on the kitchen counter. "This is a circle of trust and honesty, you can tell me the truth."

 

Two and a half hours of incessant banter, thinly veiled laughter, and secret smiles on Louis' part later, they end up in the kitchen with growling stomachs. "Cook me dinner!" Louis had exclaimed, pointing forwards at the stove and knocking his heels noisily against the cabinet door below him. Nick had only mumbled something under his breath that sounded suspiciously like 'brat' and Louis kicked his foot out quickly to jab the older in the thigh in response. "I'm your guest so be a good hostess and make me some food."

 

"Host not hostess." Nick had corrected and proceeded to shuffle around inside his fridge. "I don't really know what to make, your royal highness." It was meant as a jab, but Louis took it in stride and straightened out his posture like he was actually some kind of royalty. Nick could only roll his eyes.

 

"Do you have mac and cheese? I've been having a craving lately," He cheered, shaking his fists in the air excitedly when Nick nodded in the affirmative, pulling boxes out from one of the cupboards.

 

So now they are in the kitchen making macaroni and cheese, well, Nick is making it while Louis watches on, bossing him around and keeping up a steady jabber so there is never a silent moment. And the topic of today seems to be 'Make fun of Nick and his hipster ways' as decided by Louis.

 

Nick ignores him, stirring the noodles in the pot of steaming water until Louis sighs exasperatedly and speaks again. "Trust, Nicholas! Trust me as your good friend to spill your deepest and darkest desires to."

"If I told you anything about my deepest desires, I'd find them the next day written all over the school newspaper," Nick grumbles in return, head down and oblivious to the rapid shaking of his head Louis is partaking in.

 

Louis gasps exaggeratedly. "Nicholas Peter Grimshaw-"

 

"How do you know my middle name?"

 

"I am hurt that you would even suggest that. Honestly, like I would sell you out like that." Louis shakes his head as if Nick has truly done something terrible to both him and his reputation.

 

"Oh my  _god_ , you literally  _never_  stop this running commentary of yours!" Nick groans.

 

"If I stopped then it wouldn't be a running commentary anymore, now would it?" Louis counters back cheekily, "And you love it."

 

At Nick's raised eyebrow he adds, "If you didn't you wouldn't have invited me over. But the only way to win my heart back now that you’ve insulted me and my honor is to come clean about your OHD."

 

He looks weary, but there is a faint smile on his lips when he speaks, "Do I even want to know?"

 

"Obsessive Hipster Disorder-"

 

"Creative," Nick laments.

 

"Thank you, but I'm serious. It'll feel so great to admit it, it is the first step, after all."

 

"I thought the way to a man’s heart was through his stomach?" Nick asks, pointedly stirring the food and looking back at Louis.

 

The younger boys scoffs and waves his hand. "Nope, it's through the truth. Food has no power over me-"

 

"Neither does David Bowie." Nick interjects and proceeds to snicker quietly at himself. He's laughing loudly by the time he looks over at Louis and finds the boy completely stone faced save for the expression that says ' _I'm judging you so hard right now_ '. "Alright,  _seriously_? If you don't get that one then your childhood was seriously deprived."

 

"My childhood was in no way deprived, thank you." He sniffs, crossing his ankles primly. "It's not my fault I don't understand your stupid hipster references that don't make any sense."

 

"I think bashing my head against this cupboard door would get me farther than a conversation with you, hellion." He flicks the stove off, draining all the water and going about turning the soggy noodles into cheesy goodness.

 

Louis watches and keeps chatting. "As I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted.. winning a man's heart through food is all a myth. I like a man who can tell me who he really is, say an ancient hipster with a slightly large head for example." Nick drops the pot back onto the stove with a glare at Louis. He swivels until he's standing in front of him, big palms resting on either side of Louis' thighs on the countertop.

 

Louis has forgotten how to breathe, his hands, previously held in the air flounder uselessly before dropping awkwardly to rest over his knees. From here he can see every freckle dotted over Nick's pale skin and the way each and every eyelash frames his big, dark eyes. "When I first talked to you, I thought you'd be a good time." Nick starts, his voice low between them and curling heavily around Louis' ears and stomach. "And now I know just how wrong first impressions can be."

 

His mind starts playing tricks on him because it seems like the space between their faces is growing smaller and smaller until he can feel the words Nick is speaking. "Because I'm a great time." Louis smiles around the words stupidly, his eyes splitting a watch between Nick's lips and his eyes.

 

"You're a horrible time." Nick corrects, the last syllable spoken against his lips and Louis freezes for a second because  _what is going on exactly_? He's not exactly sure who kissed who, just thinks that they kept leaning in until there was no more room to lean into except each other, but his lips are touching Nick Grimshaw's. He unclenches his fists, then curls them into tight little balls again, and then throws caution to the wind and grabs onto Nick's broad shoulders.

 

His lips slide against Nick's on while Louis gets lost in the feeling of Nick’s lips on his, his hands rising from the counter to grip his waist. It lasts for... well, he doesn't actually know how long it lasts for. But their mouths finally do separate and Louis isn't fast enough to swallow down the giddy feelings before it blooms across his face in a big smile. "I think I said the way to my heart was through the truth," he breathes.

 

Nick's fingers tighten on his waist in annoyance and he blows the words, "Goddamn monster," across Louis’ cheeks. Right as he goes for a reply, Nick moves in to take the words right out of his mouth. It's an effective strategy if the way Louis almost forgets his own name is any judge of it.

 

Louis wants to thread his fingers through the hair at the back of Nick's hair where it's starting to curl back up at the tips, to run his hands up his sides and over his ribs, to hold his cheek and pull him closer. Instead, he keeps his fingers digging into the soft material stretching over Nick’s shoulders. His feet dangle aimlessly next to Nick's knees, knocking lightly against them whenever he presses harder or tilts his head just right.

 

Eventually they pull apart, both with kiss swollen lips and Nick chuckles fondly down at Louis. He places one hand, palm flat, over Louis' heart and feels the rapid thump thump against his skin. "Do I make your heart race, darling?" He teases, close enough to pinpoint the exact place the blush on Louis' neck starts.

 

Louis covers the hand on his chest with one of his own and leans in for another chaste kiss.

 

Nick watches as Louis moves closer, peering up at him through his eyelashes, looking flushed and kissable and it's incredibly sweet. And he is incredibly screwed.

 

-*-*-*-*-

"Louis told me you two, y'know, snogged." Harry says, smiling. They've only just arrived at the old, almost abandoned record shop and he's been trying to find the perfect moment to bring the topic up since he spotted the older boy. Now, as Nick flicks through a bin of shoddy records, he figures it's a good a time as any. That and the fact he can't really hold it in any longer.

 

But sue him if he's a little over excited over the idea of two of his mates dating. Especially when one of them has been holding a candle to the other for a year and a half, now. Not to mention he feels proud of himself, like cupid himself should give him a pat on the back. Or better yet just hand over his little satchel of arrows because Harry has a natural gift for matchmaking. He's not sure if he'd rock the whole diaper look, but he's also pretty sure that if he was a god like cupid then he would be able to decide his own dress code.

 

The relief he had felt last night when Louis called him, casually slipping in that, "Me and Nick snogged a bit, no big deal," was indescribable. He didn't really want his pinky promise to fall through and have to watch over a mopey Louis for the next two months as he tried to make himself move on.

 

There is just one final piece of the puzzle left and that's to get them official. Like, holding hands in the hallways and going to school dances together official. He's swooning already just thinking about it. Last night when he had asked Louis if they were together, his friend had rambled out a long winded response about how he would be fine if they didn't end up like that and that they weren't at the moment but anything could happen.

 

But Harry prides himself in knowing Louis well enough to hear the hope and happiness in his voice after the confession. And he knows him well enough to predict how things will end up if Nick doesn't proclaim his undying love soon.

 

Nick doesn't even look up as he nods, "That's correct."

 

Harry grins, rubbing his hands together like an evil genius. "S'a big leap to take." He's still nodding and his tone takes on something more wise and understanding than he actually has, speaking like a doctor who is offering his patient advice. "Mates to lovers. Friends to, like,  _boy_ friends."

 

In turn, Nick sighs through his nose and reads over the back of a record he randomly picked up. Harry knows he's paying attention, though, because the words he's supposedly reading are sideways.

 

"Lou's a romantic," Harry starts.

 

"I seriously doubt that. I tried complimenting his glasses once and he threw his spanish book at me," Nick's realized by now that his record isn't legible and shoves it back in the pile so he can continue his search.

 

"You should make a grand gesture!" Harry plows on, acting as if Nick hadn’t said anything, "Like ask him out in front of the whole school, or.. or write him a love letter and slip it in his locker. Oh!" His green eyes light up and he wiggles his fingers in front of his face like a legitimate, gossiping preteen. "Ask him out when you do announcements! D'you realize how cute that'd be? Fucking adorable."

 

Nick takes Harry's zealous cooing as his cue to actually join the conversation, raising his eyes from the records to where Harry is tittering behind his fingers. "I don't think that's going to happen." He breaks steadily.

 

"Okay," Harry sighs. "Maybe you don't have to ask over announcements. Basically all you really need to do is ask and he'll say yes. But a romantic gesture would add to it."

 

Once again Nick shrugs and tells Harry, "It's not really like that."

 

The younger boy doesn't quite catch on to the meaning of his words, blabbering on about how gestures and all of this other fancy crap will help move him and Louis along. Nick gets him to finally stop by offering to buy him lunch and the subject is long forgotten when they end up throwing their chips at each other until a very angry, pimply employee throws them both out.

 

-*-*-*-*-

 

Louis hears the rumor during third period in between reading what the teacher's written on the board and copying the boring words down into his notebook. He can't hear the whole conversation with the whispering the girls in front of him are doing and the droning on his teacher is doing, but he hears enough to make him feel sick.

 

They're speaking the usual words about Nick and a party and another boy and Louis' tongue feels thicker than normal, denying him the right to swallow the emotions threatening to spill over. It doesn't make sense to him.

 

Actually, he thinks, it makes perfect sense. He knew this was going to happen. He's known it was going to happen since the first month of freshman year when he fell in love with the great Grimmy. He feels stupid and ashamed for letting himself think that everything would actually work out in his favor, like everyone had told him it would. He feels humiliated for hoping they would, because it's obvious they wouldn't. Nick Grimshaw is still popular, charming, fit Nick Grimshaw who snogs a different boy every week. Just because Louis hung out with him while he lit a stage doesn't mean anything. It's just that he can't make sense of it, can't wrap his head around it.

 

It's a sick realization and a punch to the gut when Louis realizes he's become one of those many boys to Nick, just another name on an endless list of willing boys. In some ways he's gotten what he's wanted for two years, but when he tries to remember the kiss, all he feels is a nauseous swirl of his stomach.

 

Nick must see him only as a silly child with hearts in his eyes, nothing more, while Louis sees Nick as something akin to greatness. And he doesn't see how that's fair.

 

He waits out the rest of the hour miserably, blinking heavily to keep the tears behind his eyelids where they belong. When the bell rings, he's the first one out of the classroom and he walks while keeping his eyes trained on his feet in case he sees Nick in the hallways. But that doesn't stop him from hearing his distinct voice from somewhere down the hall and Louis doubles his speed, ignoring the wrenching act his heart is doing until he's in the clear.

 

Louis doesn't think twice before pushing through the side doors of the school and heaving in a deep breath of fresh air. His exhale leaves in stutters and Louis finally feels the wetness drip over his cheeks. He'd need a thesaurus to read every synonym for how stupid and sad and heartbroken he’s feeling.

 

His locker, drama, school, he doesn't know how he's going to face any of it tomorrow, but, but for today he's going to curl up under his covers and wallow in his despair.

 

-*-*-*-*-

 

Harry corners Nick later that afternoon at his locker. He heard the rumor himself only an hour ago and has been simultaneously texting Louis and scanning the top of heads in the hallway for the trademark quiff. Which is why he almost skips over Nick when his green eyes reach the curls he lets run wild over his forehead. And that only fuels Harry's anger because he only does that after a late night and he shouldn't be having late nights when he's gone and kissed Louis. Not when he's kissed his best mate who is absolutely head over heels for him and has been since the first day of Freshman year.

 

"Grimshaw." Harry tries his best to be looming with his brows all furrowed, but it's hard when he's shorter and not used to being mean.

 

Nick turns around and imitates Harry's pout to the best of his abilities, sticking out his bottom lip and scrunching up his eyebrows. "Styles." He says back, mimicking his voice as well.

 

"I'm not here to play games."

 

Nick becomes seemingly engrossed in organizing his locker, eyes purposely keeping away from Harry's green ones. "Haven't the slightest idea what you're talking about." He exhales, trying too hard at making it look like he's distracted.

 

Harry slams the locker shut with a bang and steps closer. "Are you an idiot? When I suggested asking Lou out I wasn't telling you to stick your tongue down some other bloke's throat."

 

Nick stops his nervous twiddling at that and peers at Harry confusedly. "I think I'm missing a part of the story here." And when Harry gives him a hard look that's meant to say ' _I will kill you if you are lying and/or if you think this is a joke_ ', the expression of puzzlement stays as genuine as ever.

 

But Harry plows on nonetheless and pokes a long finger into Nick's flannel clad chest. "I heard about your weekend, Grimshaw." He's not really sure why, but he finds that using last names make the whole conversation more intimidating. Nick would probably laugh if his face wasn't so screwed up into a mask of bafflement. "About the party." He explains further when Nick stays quiet.

 

"I was home all weekend." Nick drawls and narrows his eyes at Harry like he's trying to figure him out. "Is this some kind of prank? It's not very good."

 

Harry shakes his head and puffs out a frustrated sigh through his nostrils. "This weekend you went out and hooked up with a random." He accuses and clenches his fist. "You've got your party hair and everything."

 

"Party hair- what?" Nick shakes his head as if he's trying valiantly but failing to keep up. "I didn't hook up with anyone. Where did you hear I did?"

 

"Just the same old rumor around every week."

 

"What rumor? Every week? Can you stop with this bits and pieces act and just tell me what's going on?" Nick clenches his hands by his sides and has to breath slowly to calm his rising temper at the way Harry sighs like he's the one allowed to be irritated by the situation when Nick doesn't even know what's the matter yet. He has an idea, yes, but it doesn't involve kissing random blokes so he knows he's not right.

 

"So basically every week we hear about your latest pull at a party over the weekend, but you like Louis now," Harry says so obviously and Nick wants to cut in and deny it. It's his first instinct to say,  _no! No, I don't like anyone_. But that's sort of not true even if he plans on ignoring it, so he stays quiet. "So you aren't supposed to be kissing other lads who aren't Lou."

 

"Do you reckon there are enough guys in the school for that? A different guy every week you said?" Nick muses thoughtfully, hoping to distract the other from the topic at hand. The last thing he wants to talk about is his feelings for Louis. As far as he's concerned, it's just a bit of lust that will flitter off in a bit and he's not going to act on it no matter how many fantasies Harry has of him sweeping Louis off of his feet. "For the first time ever, my reputation actually does proceed me. Hmm, this is a new one."

 

Harry stares at Nick for a moment. "So you didn't hook up with anyone this weekend?" Nick nods. "And Louis is the last bloke you kissed?" Nick falters for a second, but ultimately nods again. "I don't understand."

 

Nick sighs, rubbing the back of his neck tiredly. "I can say it slower if you'd like."

 

The younger of the two shakes his head and peers at Nick like he's a puzzle he’s trying desperately to solve. "Why don't you tell Louis then? He thinks you hooked up with someone. That's why he's been all sad and stuff."

 

Nick pointedly ignores the pang of hot guilt twisting through the deep of his belly and shakes his head. "We aren't dating." It's the truth, but he still feels like he's doing something terribly wrong as he says it. And judging by the look on Harry's face, he does too.

 

Harry looks at him before blinking and swallowing. "You don't want to date Louis?" His words are careful and measured, shaking around the edges. You'd think he was the one being rejected by the confusion and anger swimming in his eyes.

 

And okay, so maybe Nick has thought about it once or twice or twenty times, holding Louis' small hand safely in his and walking him to class, being able to kiss him or hold him whenever the feeling struck. Having someone soft and warm to cuddle into on rainy days. And maybe Nick's heart flutters like a teenage girl with a crush whenever Louis smiles at him or shouts at him or just generally reacts to him. And, yes, maybe Nick really enjoyed their snog a lot more than he'd care to admit.

 

But he's Nick Grimshaw. He has rumors about him and a different boy every week. He's not one for relationships, doesn't know how to be a proper boyfriend especially to someone as high maintenance and difficult as Louis. Relationships are messy and he's seen enough to realize that high school relationships are as drama filled as they come. In two weeks, everyone could feel differently and it's not really worth it to hurt himself or even worse, end up hurting someone else.

 

He's Nick Grimshaw and he's a Senior and will be off to some college next year. Pretty soon he's going to be Nick Grimshaw, Freshman and University Radio DJ, and far away from Louis and any relationship he may or may not have had. He doesn't understand the point in starting something when it has an inevitable end already visible.

 

Louis is a monster. He's loud and gives Nick a headache sometimes with the sheer amount of words he can spit out in under a minute sans a breath of air. The sophomore is literally exhausting just to look at and his taste in music is crap. He's rude and brash and witty and can cut Nick down in mere seconds and Nick loves him for it. Loves to see his blue eyes get wide and angry and the rosy flush build up high over his cheekbones. Because sometime in between sitting down next to Louis in auditions and laughing with him up in his booth he developed a bit of a crush.

 

His life has turned into a sappy mess of feelings that he's not particularly proud of. The rumor about him snogging that fellow should be true, not the sad reality of his life. Which is that he spent his weekend eating and pining and trying to figure out what he should do.

 

Harry is looking at him with his big green eyes and Nick is so glad he's having this conversation with Harry and not Louis. Because if Louis looked at him with round, blue eyes under his eyelashes, slightly sad, Nick would melt before him and offer to be his lifelong slave. "I'm not into the whole dating scene." It sounds weak to his ears and even weaker with the shrug he tacks on as an afterthought.

 

Harry looks like he wants to punch Nick in the throat and also, maybe cry a little bit. "But you kissed Louis?"

 

"That I did, young Harold." Nick nods and swings his bag over his shoulder. This conversation is coming to an end, either with a punch or him running away and he's going to be prepared, at least. Fight or flight and all that.

 

"You like him." Harry says abruptly. "I know you do and I don't know why you're being an arsehole about it, but Louis doesn't deserve it." Nick wants to tell him he knows. Also, Harry is reminding him a whole lot like a fierce momma bear protecting her baby cub right now. But Harry is on a roll it seems and has no intentions of stopping.

 

"I hope for your sake that you realize what an idiot you're being before Louis decides to finally move on like he's been wanting to do for the past month. Because Lou is a great guy and you'd be lucky to have him. If you can't see that then you're blind and Louis doesn't need that." Harry's eyes are hard and unforgiving and Nick tries to remember when it became okay for sophomores to reprimand him on his love life. Even more than that, when it became okay for them to be perfectly right when they tell him he's being daft.

 

"But you have to be the one to tell him that. Because he's practically drooling over the ground you walk on and it's not my place to break his heart like that." His dark eyes suddenly become fixed on the rounded toes of his shoes. He knows Harry is right and there's a petty side of him that wants to stomp his feet and tell him he just doesn't understand.

 

Instead he nods towards the ground. "We have rehearsals tomorrow. I'm a big boy, Harry, I can deal with my own problems just fine. Don't you worry your curly little head."

 

"That's not really an option now." Harry mumbles back.

 

-*-*-*-*-

 

Louis is seriously considering dropping out of the play. Last bell of the day rang three minutes ago and he can't muster the courage to pull open the door and get himself into the auditorium where he knows Nick will be.

 

Honestly, it's not like anything is supposed to change. They were never dating, never held any obligations to each other, never discussed feelings. At this point they were still two mates that kissed a bit one night, but it's apparently not a big deal so Louis isn't going to treat it as one.

 

Well, he wouldn't if he could get it in him to take the first step. His stomach is swirling uncomfortably in anticipation for the horrible evening he's about to suffer through. But the world, ever insensitive to his personal struggles, keeps moving and time passes and it gets to the point where he can't be any later unless he wants to get a lecture from the director about respect for the stage.

 

There's an awkward moment when he doesn't know whether to sit in one of the seats or travel up to the booth and stands to the side until he gets a text asking  _Where are you????_.

 

"About the kiss," Nick starts later and watches as Louis' lip shakes once before setting determinedly.

 

"We can forget about it, if you'd like." Louis finishes and flashes what's meant to be an easy smile towards Nick. And that's that. It's out there and Nick is nodding with one of his easy, toothy smiles that Louis loves so much, wants to keep to himself, for himself.

 

There's always been tension between them, but now both of them can feel it, taste it, almost touch it and see it, it's so thick. And Louis has all these feelings for Nick that, if he's being completely honest with himself, aren't going to go anywhere anytime soon, but now Nick knows and neither of them can talk about it.

 

They're just two mates lighting a stage and reading some lines together just like they were two mates lighting a stage and reading some lines together a week ago. Literally nothing has changed and Louis thinks that's worse than everything changing.

 

-*-*-*-*-

 

"I need to get out of here." Nick groans, fisting through his hair frustratedly. It's a week before opening night and rehearsals have almost tripled in length. It's nearing half past seven and Louis is watching through the window of the booth as they finalize set props and costumes and all that, while trying his hardest to tune out Nick’s complaints.

 

"Do they understand that some of us have lives?"

 

Louis simply shrugs in response, wiggling his toes about in his shoes. Two weeks ago he would have yelled at Nick to shut up, but that was two weeks ago and now things are different.

 

"Are you even listening to me." Nick all but whines and Louis squeezes his eyes shut before turning to face the other occupant of the booth. "It's sort of hard not to," he tells him. "Where do you even need to go that's so important?"

 

"Pixie's throwing a party and I am expected early to help with the set-up." Nick checks his phone again, making it the twentieth time in the past four minutes.

 

"Shocker," Louis breaths, turning back to face the front. So he's a smidgen tired and grumpy and the fact that Nick is going to a party where he'll find a pretty bloke to dance with and snog upsets him even more. Sue him.

 

"Are you going to come round later?" Nick asks, by all accounts oblivious to Louis' sour attitude.

 

"Wasn't invited," Louis responds shortly. 

 

"Consider this an invitation." 

 

Louis rubs his eyes, presses a little too hard against his eyelids, and sighs. "I wouldn't know anybody going. Plus, I'm beat." 

 

"You'd know me." Nick challenges. "And you can invite Harry and Stan if you'd like." 

 

He doesn't even think before saying, "I doubt I'd even see you there.", which he realizes might not be the best idea. He can feel the heat of Nick's stare on the back of his head and pulls down the beanie tighter to stave it off. "What do you mean?" Nick demands.

 

Louis crosses his arms against his chest and shrugs, becoming the epitome of uncomfortable. "Just, y'know? You're usually busy at those parties with different blokes and such." In hindsight, it would have been smart to stop right there, but Louis is feeling petulant and hurt and doesn't. "Last thing I'd want is to be a cock block, mate. I know how much you love your boys." 

 

"You just made me sound like some kind of sugar daddy or something." Nick says tightly, "And how would you know what I do at those parties if you've never been?" 

 

"I've heard enough." And before he can stop it, "Been through it myself." 

 

The words drop like a weight in water through the room and it's silent enough to hear a pin drop. Neither knows what to say, how to come back from that and the tension in the room builds until the room is filled with three forms and not two. Despite that, Louis can't find any regret swirling in his chest. Rather, he finds that he's relieved, glad almost that he’s finally put it out there. 

 

He's been walking on eggshells around Nick for a while now, swallowing down his feelings and locking them away in hopes he could trick himself into thinking they'd disappeared. And he's had time to let his bottled up thoughts fester inside. Louis wants to yell at Nick and make him understand what he's doing because it's not fair that he crushed his heart to dust and walked away unscathed. 

 

"It wasn't-" Nick begins, but Louis cuts him off. "No? Because I'm pretty positive that's exactly what it was." 

 

"Louis." It sounds like a warning. 

 

"That's what you do with all the guys, right? Kiss them and leave them? It's what you did to me." Louis shrugs as if any of this is just a casual conversation between two friends. 

 

"It's not like that." Nick tries, but Louis waves him off. 

 

"No biggie, yeah? S'not like anyone got hurt. And if they did, well, then it's their fault. Shouldn't be so stupid." He's rambling now, about to ramble himself off a cliff and fall into hysteria. Either that or start throwing things at Nick's big forehead, whichever comes first. 

 

"I'm sorry." Nick breaks through quietly, to which Louis shakes his head. "Why?" 

 

Nick huffs and grabs a hold of Louis' chair, spinning him around to look him dead on. "Can you please stop acting like this and just talk to me." His eyes are big and brown, resembling those of a sad puppy dog. Louis wants to punch him in the face and kiss him at the same time. 

 

"Like what? Like it's not a big deal?" Louis tilts his head, his tone nothing but patronizing and cool. "Because if I'm not mistaken, that's exactly what you made it out to be. It was you," He sticks a finger into Nick's chest, "Nick, not me who wanted the kiss to mean nothing. I'm just following by example." 

 

Nick wraps his fingers around the one jabbing into his rib cage and holds it away, yanking Louis closer with his hold until he's leaning forward in his chair. For a second, Louis thinks he's going to kiss him and he can't find the air to fill his lungs with. "Would you stop, you little imp." Louis watches his adams apple bob as Nick swallows nervously and clears his throat. "It's not like that. You're  _lovely,_  Louis, when you're not being an absolute twat and I didn't use you or whatever you think I did." 

 

Louis' eyes widen, and Nick can see them getting a little wet in the dim lighting of the booth. His heart feels like it's being squeezed when he opens his mouth to continue and say, "But I'm not into the dating scene and we're just friends." 

 

His blue eyes stay wide and frozen for a moment on Nick, before he blinks once, twice and then nods. Nick does nothing but watch helplessly as Louis purses his lips to keep them from shaking and pulls his finger out of the tight grip Nick holds it in. "Can you tell them I was feeling poorly?" He doesn't wait for an answer before he's left Nick alone in the suddenly cold booth. 

 

When rehearsals end fifteen minutes later, Nick sends a text to Pixie telling her that he's not feeling too well and is going to spend the night in. It's not a lie. He can't get the image of Louis' shaking lip and wet eyes out of his mind and it's making him sick to his stomach. 

 

-*-*-*-*-

 

For some reason, he takes Nick telling him they're just friends and he doesn't want to date him, a lot better than he took the first rumor. Because now it's set in stone: Nick Grimshaw is never going to be interested in him. All those foolish fantasies will only ever be fantasies and Louis has no choice but to accept it. Unless he'd rather cry and mope over it like he's been doing for the majority of his high school career. But that's not an option any more. 

 

It's like a cool breeze after a hot, humid day, the realization is. He has to move on and this time it has to be real. He can't tell himself to move on, but then pine after Nick and his cute little tooth gap during rehearsals or, tell himself to move on and then text Nick to tell him he's the most annoying person he's ever met. 

 

He's going to get over Nick and his absurd hair and be happier than ever, because love isn't all it's cracked up to be and movies have got it all wrong. 

 

-*-*-*-*-

 

As much as they think it will, life doesn't stop for a couple of high school students and their issues. The week travels on, bringing an awkward Friday where both Louis and Nick avoid their lockers and a quiet weekend which both boys choose to spend home in bed. Monday passes much like Friday, without any incident, and Louis is actually certain this could work until Nick graduates and moves away. 

 

Opening night is scheduled for Friday. So as much as he may want to, Louis can’t skip rehearsals. But that's fine because the stage is his second love and he's looking forward to stepping out of his skin and ditching the problems he carries around like extra books in his book bag. He’s looking forward to putting on a new persona. Besides, Nick is supposed to stay in his booth and as long as Louis stays away from it and doesn't think about where the spotlight shining on his face is coming from, he should be good. 

 

The play is coming together wonderfully and Louis relishes in the proud swell of emotion in his chest as he watches the chaos going on around him with last minute adjustments and questions. He watches quietly from his seat, scanning his eyes over his fellow crew and cast that he hasn't had time to converse with much more than the words on their scripts. It's never too late, he decides and selects a target who turns out to be the quiet boy in the corner, hovering over a few props and the painted backdrop for one of Louis' favorite scenes. 

 

He looks extremely focused on something in the corner of the big painting and jumps when Louis more exclaims than says, "Hello there!" 

 

The boy is quite attractive in a way that makes Louis’ smile grow large enough to encompass his teeth and squash down the comparisons to Nick arising in his brain. 

 

"Hi," the boy replies, nodding at Louis. 

 

"I'm Louis. I haven't seen you around here before." 

 

"M'name's Zayn," the boy- Zayn says, blinking with his dark, dark eyelashes that remind Louis of someone else he’d rather not be thinking about. "I've been working a lot backstage and in the art room with these." He gestures vaguely to the pieces and Louis' eyes widen. 

 

"You painted these?" 

 

Zayn nods. "They're amazing! You're like Picasso or summat! I love this one." He brushes his hand over the backdrop, missing the weird face Zayn shoots him. 

 

"Thanks." Louis waves it off and directs his bright smile back to Zayn. "So.. what grade are you in?" In the background places are called and everyone scrambles to get ready for a run through. 

 

"Shouldn't you get up there?" Zayn asks, pointing towards the stage where kids are bustling behind the curtain. 

 

Louis follows his finger and shakes his head. "Nah, I don't come in for a couple scenes. I'm free to make a new friend until then!" The lights dim around them and the spotlight turn towards the stage. Louis smiles wider at Zayn who wonders whether or not his face is going to split in half or not. 

 

"You're really good," Zayn finally says. "I've seen you at rehearsals and when you auditioned." 

 

They lower their voices as the play runs on and talk for a while about classes, friends, and the play until somehow Louis' managed to get Zayn to laugh and he has a hand on his arm. And that's when the spotlight slips from the actor speaking on stage to shine hotly over Louis and Zayn. 

 

Zayn squints in the harsh light and the stage goes quiet, waiting for the tech issue to be fixed. They all turn to stare at either Louis and Zayn, or Nick who's leaning out the window. 

 

"Sorry, my arm slipped," Nick drawls from where he’s protruding from the window up in the balcony. "Won't happen again!" Louis fumes silently when Nick pointedly doesn't look at him and swings the window closed once more. 

 

"Jealous lover?" Zayn asks when the actors on stage resume their roles and Louis sputters, because wow no. He couldn't be any further off point than that. There's wrong and then there's really, really, _really_  wrong and Zayn is past the really, really, _really_  wrong point he's more than really wrong. He's just  _wrong_. 

 

"No." Louis shakes his head wildly. "No, no way. Grimshaw and I? As a couple?" He probably looks as unhinged as he sounds, but this is just crazy. 

 

Zayn merely shrugs, unbothered. "You're always up in the booth with him. I see you guys walking together in the hallways sometimes."

 

Louis nods. "We're just friends. Nothing more." After that he stays quiet and holds in the urge he has to ask  _why did you think we were dating? Did you hear anything? Do we look like a couple? Did Nick say anything? Do we look good together?_  


 

He's on stage before he has time to figure out how to work each question into the conversation without coming across as the pathetic teenager with an unfortunate case of unrequited love that he is. 

 

-*-*-*-*-

 

Greg sits in with Nick on Thursday to ‘keep him company’ as he claims it. Really, he's just there for moral support... and to make sure Nick doesn't chase Louis down with the spotlight all night. Also because everyone called noses and he was a bit slow on the uptake so he was stuck with the task of essentially, babysitting Nick. 

 

Their conversation dies down when Louis enters the stage, Nick's attention suddenly rapt on the small boy with a voice two times the size of him. It's obvious, really. He talks a big game about how vexing Louis can be, but his pupils turn into tiny hearts and the insults lose their impact when the smaller boy is around.

 

It's infuriating and Greg wants to shake him, point at Louis, and say  _Look! You love him and he loves you! Don't waste that._   There is a clear solution right now that would make everybody happy, so why don't they take it? By the time Louis exits stage left, he has a nice little speech planned out in his head, very impacting and inspirational and a surefire way to make Nick see what a screw up he's been about this. 

 

"I think I screwed up." Nick groans, probably hating himself for admitting it, heedlessly stealing Greg’s thunder. "No!" Greg huffs at once. 

 

Nick looks over at him with a grimace. "You don't think I made a mistake with Louis?" 

 

His jaw drops and he scrambles to correct himself.

 

"No! Of course you made a mistake." This definitely wasn't how it was supposed to go, but Nick is nodding and switching all the lights off, his eyes glued on something unknown out the window. When Greg follows his line of vision, he's met with Louis shrugging on his jacket and simultaneously typing out a quick text. "What are you going to do about it?"

 

Nick waits until Louis is out of sight before turning to Greg with a sure smile. "I know just the thing." 

 

-*-*-*-*-

 

It's Friday morning and the announcements are playing from the ancient television mounted precariously in the corner just like every single other day in the hell hole excuse of a school. Over the dull set of dates for college fairs and listings for the next math club meeting being recited, a melody is created in the classroom from the students popping gum, tapping pencils, and just generally not paying attention. It's all very run-of-the-mill. 

 

That is, until "I'm a little hipster bitch who secretly listens to top forty and loves it." echoes around the classroom until it's bouncing in everybody's heads. 

 

The class goes absolutely silent, heads all whipping to get a view of the screen where Nick Grimshaw is pressing his lips together in a tight line to hold in the laughter he's trying so hard to keep inside. His head is held high, brown eyes shining with mirth even through the blurry static coating the TV provides on all pictures while the girl next to him flounders with her next line. 

 

Noise slowly escalates again until it's builds into a roar louder than before. But it's all a dull roar in Louis' ears. Nothing is louder than his own heart beating in his ears like a steady drum beat in a suspenseful horror scene. His jaw literally won't close and even if he manages for a minute, it falls back open. Above all, Louis Tomlinson is smiling, his eyes wide and confused but ultimately happy, and the feeling throbbing through his body and tingling at his finger tips is joy. 

 

Announcements end early this morning and Louis Tomlinson is reassured that he was right all along. Truth is the way to a man's heart, forget food. 

 

-*-*-*-*-

 

Today, the hallways are overrun by mile a minute chatter, all conversations about Grimmy's mysterious confession. Nobody knows the reason behind it, sans Louis and friends, and it's driving the student population absolutely mad. It's giving Louis a headache to listen to so many theories on the subject and still have to protect the knowledge of the truth close to his chest. 

 

He's not going to tell anyone anything until he actually knows himself. Not even Harry or Stan. 

 

What he thinks it was is a romantic gesture. Well, what Nick thinks is a romantic gesture, because Louis is well aware that "I'm a little hipster bitch who secretly listens to top forty and loves it" is not the love confession he was looking for. But coming from Nick, Louis understands it means a lot more than most people would think. Because of that, he spends the rest of the day floating in a cloud of everything that's right in the world outlined with hope. 

 

Naturally, the only thing to do now is find the tall fool and berate him, interrogate him, and maybe even snog him. 

 

When the last bell rings and Louis turns the corner leading to his locker's hallway, the first thing his eyes land on, as if he’s trained to spot it, is the quiff standing out tall amongst the sea of heads. There is a group of people surrounding him, most definitely grilling him on what this morning was about so they could tell all their friends and spread it around. Idly he realizes it's the most people that have ever been at his locker at once, but before that thought can be finished Nick looks up and catches Louis' eye. 

 

The stragglers clear out when Nick waves his hand to dismiss, eyes boring into Louis' and a wide smile set on his long lips. Out of nowhere Louis’ stomach starts to twist nervously, the pessimistic voices in his head remembering all too well the number of times he's sworn off the dangerous and addictive drug of hope. 

 

Frankly, for all Louis knows, Nick could have done this whole thing to win back Louis' friendship. It's a poisonous thought, one that sucks the air from his lungs and makes him decide he is moving to Australia if it turns out to be true. He'll make friends with the kangaroos and koala bears there, it won't be too bad. 

 

He's wondering how much it would cost to send packages to the girls and him mum all the way from Australia when he arrives in front of his locker and in turn, in front of Nick. It's quiet for a moment, neither one knowing what to say; Nick smiling down at him, all too proud of himself and Louis peering back curiously. 

 

"You've thrown the school for a loop," Louis declares finally, rocking back on his heels and shoving his fingers down into his tight pockets. 

 

"So I've been told." Nick’s eyes hold something warm and fond in them that Louis isn't used to seeing. It's the kind of look that makes his stomach flutter with butterflies and his cheeks heat with color. 

 

"What's the damage?" Louis asks tentatively and Nick just shrugs. "Greg gets my spot for the next month." He says with a smile, the same one that's been on his lips since announcements that morning. 

 

Louis smiles impishly and nods. "I've always thought James was cute. I've got a thing for the taller lads." 

 

Nick steps closer, snaking an arm around Louis and spanning his hand across the width of the small of his back. His head dips low, close to where Louis is breathing heavily through his happy expression and Nick breathes, "Yeah?" Any reply Louis had in mind is thrown out the door along with his entire existence  as Nick brushes his lips against his. He swallows the words right out of his mouth and for once, Louis has no intentions of snipping out a witty retort. 

 

He can feel a smile against his lips and he bounces up on his tiptoes to wrap his arms around Nick's neck and hold him tight. No way is he getting away when Louis' only just gotten him back. But he doesn't have to worry about that since Nick cups the back of his head with his big hand and holds on just as tightly, sliding his lips against Louis'. 

 

Eventually they break apart and Louis falls back down to the heels of his feet, loosening his grip around Nick's neck so he doesn't bend the Senior in half. Nick slides the hand on the back of his head next to his other, right around the hem of Louis’ shirt where a dash of skin is exposed from the younger's previous reaching. 

 

"What happened to not wanting to date?" Louis murmurs, his lips pink, plump, and shiny as they move around the words. Nick really wants to skip over the feelings part so they can get back to the snogging. 

 

"I don't know, I didn't think I was ready to take on the responsibilities of handling the equivalent of a five year old, but I've decided to put my doubts aside if only because of your spectacular arse." 

 

Louis squeezes his hands over his shoulders and smiles so wide his eyes crinkle in the corners. "You know this means I'm going to make you carry my books to class for me? And buy me food? And keep me entertained?" Nick would laugh if he didn't know that Louis was being dead serious. "We'll see about that." 

 

Opening night is a rousing success and if Nick keeps the spotlight on Louis a couple of extra seconds every scene, it's purely accidental. Louis is a giddy ball of energy, high off performing after he finishes all the bows and soaks in all the applause, winking up at the window where he knows Nick is watching. When Nick finally fights his way through the crowd from his booth, Louis tackles him in a hug full of waving, octopus-like limbs and he doesn’t let go. 

 

"Mediocre job, darling." Nick resonates in his ear, pressing a kiss there as well. 

 

"The lights were unfocused and shaky, Nicholas. Were you trying to give the impression you were having a seizure in there?" Louis asks, finally,  _finally_ , threading his fingers through the curls around the tips of his ears. 

 

In the background, Harry mimics setting up a bow and arrow and shooting it at the pair, flapping his arms like they’re wings and shaking in a weird type of victory dance. At least some things never change, Nick decides and kisses Louis slowly.


End file.
